"If betting is legal elsewhere why shouldn't it be legalised in India as well," the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and ruling National Conference patron told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Ganderbal.u00a0

He came out in strong defence of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president N. Srinivasan, whose son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan has been arrested for his alleged involvement in spot fixing Indian Premier League matches. Meiyappan is chief of the Chennai Super Kings team.